The inside scoop on food in Los Angeles

3 Events: Lamb Showdown; Common Grains; 'American Menu'

January 31, 2012 | 3:06
pm

Panel + soba: Common Grains will host a panel discussion at Atwater Crossing on Sunday, featuring grain miller and farmer Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills in South Carolina and Monica Spiller from the Whole Grain Connection, a nonprofit aiming to enhance the desirability of organic and sustainable grains. Other grain experts also will speak, and a rice exhibition highlighting ancient varieties of grain will be on display. There will be a three-course prix fixe soba lunch, a collaboration between Sonoko Sakai and Mutsuko Soma of Common Grains, Roxana Jullapat of Cooks County and Naoko Moore of Toiro Kitchen, after the lecture. Sunday 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Panel discussion is free; $45 per person for priority seating to the panel discussion, prix fixe lunch and a donation to the Whole Grain Connection. Payment is accepted prior to the event via PayPal or at the event with cash or check. RSVP to commongrains@wagstaffworldwide.com. Atwater Crossing, 3245 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, www.commongrains.com.

Lamb-off: On Feb. 20, Food GPS presents its inaugural Lamb Showdown, pitting Walter Manzke of the coming République & Factory Baking Co. against Zach Pollack and Steve Samson of Sotto. The six-course dinner features four savory courses with American lamb and two desserts with sheep’s milk dairy. Each diner gets a vote, judging boldest flavor, most originality and best presentation. Eagle Rock Brewery will be pouring three beers for each guest throughout the course of the dinner. Fifteen percent of event proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. Tickets are $75 per person, available online. If you have any additional questions, contact Food GPS founder Joshua Lurie at joshua@foodgps.com. 7:30 p.m. Guelaguetza, at 3014 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, www.foodgps.com.

"American Menu Design": On Feb. 11., the Culinary Historians will present Jim Heimann speaking on "American Menu Design" at the Los Angeles Public Library. This talk, based on a sampling from Heimann's collection of over 5,000 menus, will focus on the graphic appeal of the menu and the history of American eating habits for over a century. A reception with themed refreshments will follow the talk. Heimann is an L.A. native; his books include the recently published "Menu Design in America," "California Crazy," "Car Hops and Curb Service, May I Take Your Order?" and "Sins of the City: The Real Los Angeles Noir." He has worked as a graphic designer, illustrator, educator and author; he's now executive editor of Taschen Publishing America and is a faculty member of Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, where he has taught since 1987. Free. 10:30 a.m. Mark Taper Auditorium, Downtown Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., www.chscsite.org.